PTC strategy 2024-2025

Objective

To improve the wellbeing, job satisfaction, and retention of psychiatric trainees, particularly in the transition to higher training.

Key actions

Wellbeing initiatives:

• Promote existing wellbeing resources for trainees: Psychiatrists’ Support Service (PSS), “You are not alone” podcasts, wellbeing pages/resource
• Continue working with the wider College on initiatives to reduce instances of sexual harassment of trainees, and to support those who have been affected.

Flexibility in training:

• Continue to advocate for the interests of less than full time (LTFT) trainees and promote flexible training pathways that adapt to personal or professional needs without compromising quality or progression
• Consider best practice for rotation planning.
  

Workforce retention:

• Partner with the Trainee Support Committee (TSC) and Choose Psychiatry Committee to support career support initiatives (e.g., career counselling, networking events) aimed at retaining trainees within psychiatry.

Objective

Address inequalities experienced by psychiatric trainees, ensuring fair access to training, exams, and career progression opportunities.

Key actions

Tackling inequality: 

• We will consider experiences of less than full time (LTFT) and International Medical Graduate (IMG) trainees regarding exam preparation and its impact on their completion of core training and progression to higher training, aiming to identify barriers and propose targeted support initiatives.

Inclusive training practices: 

• Continue to address disparities in training experiences by encouraging equitable access to high-quality supervision and developing a comprehensive toolkit that outlines expectations for supervision, providing clear guidance to trainees and supervisors to promote consistency and fairness.

Objective

Make psychiatric training more meaningful, flexible, and trainee-led, ensuring high engagement and better outcomes for both trainees and patients.

Key actions

Enhancing training:

• Continue collaborating with the College on the review and development of summative exams, formative assessments, and the portfolio, ensuring that trainee perspectives are represented and that these processes align with trainee needs and career progression
• Engage with the Examinations Committee to advocate for the development of practical and effective resources for exam preparation
• Work collaboratively with the College to address trainee concerns regarding geographical disparities in psychotherapy experiences, advocating for equitable access across regions
• Collaborate with relevant committees to support trainees during the CASC exams, exploring the availability of support on the day of their exam
• Continue to provide robust feedback from trainees to the College and advocate for standardised ARCP processes when reviewing curriculum-based competencies
• Explore and collaborate with the College and key stakeholders to address regional differences in National Training Numbers (NTNs) for Core and Specialty training.

Learning opportunities:

• Deliver a trainee conference in Spring 2025 that aligns with the curriculum and is accessible to trainees across the UK
• Continue to promote opportunities in academic psychiatry, research, and leadership training to enhance the professional development of trainees.

Choose Psychiatry engagement:

• Continue to collaborate with the Choose Psychiatry campaign to drive trainee engagement and participation
• Maintain contact with local PsychSocs at UK universities to promote psychiatry as a career choice and maintain engagement with potential trainees.

The PTC and you:

• Establish a regular series of PTC Town Hall style meetings to provide a platform for direct communication between the PTC and trainees, creating opportunities for dialogue, feedback, and increased transparency.